Basketball in Africa

Kenya Basketball Federation (KBF) will this weekend host some of the inter-conference league games in Nairobi.
A total of six matches are lined up pitting teams from different conferences across the three main leagues; men's Premier League, women's Premier League and division one.
The top game in men's Premier League will pit league newcomers Umoja from Western Conference against Zetech University of Eastern Conference at the Nyayo gymnasium. Zetech has had a better display so far winning four games from six played while Umoja has won twice and lost thrice.
Jeremy Yongo, Joshua Kisali and Jeremy Opiyo have been the standout players for Zetech while Umoja has Gilbert Obiero and Kevin Sunguti as their star players.
The Saturday game will be the first meeting between these sides since their division one playoffs final in November that Zetech won.
At Upper Hill School, Co-operative Bank from Eastern Conference will play Western Conference’s Mennonites. Co-op Bank have been bolstered by the return of point guard Khaemba Situma from United States International University- Africa (USIU-A).
It will be a meeting of total contrast; that of a team enjoying financial life against a struggling team. Felix Odhiambo has always been impressive for Mennonites and should rise to the occasion against the bankers, who have a strong backcourt that includes Situma and experienced Salim Ali.
Eastern Conference table-toppers Nairobi City Thunder will play Terror who have lost four games and won two in the Western Conference. With Griffin Ligare on the court, Thunder is sure to be a hard nut to crack for Terror.
In Sudanese import William Mayiel, Terror have a good match for Ligare. Both players are very precise from the 3-point line but teamwork will be very critical for both sides to complement their individual capabilities.
Lethal combination
In the Eastern Conference, it will be a fight for a second win of the season as Kenyatta University Pirates and Nairobi Aviation College face off on Saturday. Pirates will have to deal with the lethal combination of Ben Oluoch and Abel Nson. A point separates both teams.
Pirates will play their second game of the weekend against Strathmore University on Sunday. Only one inter-conference game of the women's Premier League will be played pitting winless Mennonites (Eastern Conference) against Kenyatta University Oryx (Western Conference).
The top clash will be in the Eastern Conference where youthful and unbeaten Strathmore University play the experienced Equity Bank. The bankers will line up Hilda Indasi, Samba Mjomba, Denise Apondi and company against Susan Manya, Mollete Achieng and the entire brigade from Madaraka.
On paper, Strathmore is the firm favorite having won three out of three matches while Equity have won twice and lost once.
Masaku Sparks will get to play their second game of the season in the same conference when they confront Sprite Storms. Despite their newness in the league, Masaku have some experienced hands in the likes of Betty Kananu who played for Oryx and former international Silalei Shani.
For Storms, old-hands Angela Luchivya, Linet Mukiri and Sylvia Omollo are key players.
Two inter-conference games are lined up in division one. EMYBA (Eastern Conference) will play Africa Nazarene University (Western Conference) while 4-Christ (Eastern Conference) will confront MKU Thika (Western Conference).
MKU will play their second game in the Western Conference against Barclays Bank on Sunday. Other games will see a Western Conference matchup as Eldonets host Kenya College of Accountancy University (KCA-U) while in the Eastern Conference, Upper Hill will play Baraka Xtreme as Little Prince tackle JKUAT.
KBF Weekend Fixtures
Saturday: Eldonets vs KCA-U (10 a.m., Eldoret), EMYBA vs ANU (9 a.m., Upper Hill), 4-Christ vs MKU Thika (10:30 a.m.), Parklands Baptist vs Don Bosco (9 a.m., Nyayo gymnasium), World Hope vs JKUAT (10:30 a.m.), KU Pirates vs Nairobi Aviation College (12 p.m.), Strathmore Swords vs Equity Bank (2 p.m.), Umoja vs Zetech University (4 p.m.).
Sunday: Mennonites vs KU Oryx (12 p.m., Upper Hill), Co-op Bank vs Mennonites Men (2 p.m.), Thunder vs Terror (4 p.m.), Upper Hill vs Baraka Xtreme (9 a.m., Nyayo gymnasium), Little Prince vs JKUAT (10:30 a.m.), Barclays Bank vs MKU Thika (12 p.m.), Sprite Storms vs Masaku Sparks (2 p.m.), Strathmore University vs KU Pirates (4 p.m.).